About the Center

An interdisciplinary approach for impact

The Center brings together faculty and staff from across the University of Michigan community with external partners in pursuit of novel global health solutions that can positively impact individuals and communities in low- and middle-income settings.

Inspired by a catalytic gift—matched by the university—from Dr. Tachi and Leslie Yamada, the Center focuses on collaboration for meaningful change.

Download the Center's Inaugural Impact Report

Thematic Priorities

Based on potential for impact, institutional strengths, and perceived needs, Center leaders and stakeholders have identified four primary themes to guide initial collaborations and efforts.

  • Strengthening systems to improve health and health equity, including creative approaches with the private sector (human resource development, collaborative care models, supply-chain, and access)
  • Informing policy and programming related to social and environmental determinants of health (climate change, food security, education, health economics, and economic development)
  • Developing technical solutions for health equity (artificial intelligence and data science approaches, telehealth tools, and systems)
  • Empowering women as effectors of health for themselves, their families, and their communities
Man with laptop completing survey in outdoor area

Meaningful change requires connecting research with public policy, education and training, and local programs and healthcare systems to impact global health equity outcomes in positive ways.

Guiding Principles

Based on input from the faculty visioning group, the Center utilizes the following lens criteria for assessing opportunities:

  • Alignment with one or more of the Center’s thematic priorities
  • A line of sight to envision impact
  • Potential for creative, transformative disruption
  • Interdisciplinary engagement from at least three University of Michigan schools, colleges, or units
  • Plays to University of Michigan strengths
  • Addresses an area that is neglected or not receiving needed attention and has a sense of urgency
  • Demonstrated engagement of global partners in meaningful, equitable collaborations.
Blood sampling for community health survey, Witwatersrand, South Africa

We embrace cultural humility, mutual respect, and commitment to equity in the partnerships and projects we pursue.

Values

The Center's core values underpin its work and engagement with collaborators on campus and around the world.

  • Cultural humility
  • Embracing genuine collaboration—valuing local partnerships, valuing expertise across the university, finding synergy
  • Bidirectional learning
  • Intentional partnerships with a focus on impact—changing the status quo, demonstrating differential growth
  • Commitment to health equity—everyone has fair, just opportunities to live as healthy a life as possible
  • Accountability and transparency

Also in This Section

Tachi and Leslie Yamada

Center History

Leadership Team

Staff

Scholars

Executive Committee

Internal Advisory Board